Southern Communications Corporate Solutions T/A SCG Corporate

Managed Firewall Service

Provision of both a physical onsite and virtual firewall services for the controlled access and protection of LAN and WAN services up to and including OFFICIAL.

Features

• CESG Approved vendor hardware and software
• Real-time monitoring
• Real-time reporting

Benefits

• 24/7 management
• Access to industry security experts

£25 a unit a month

• Education pricing available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at rebecca.rowarth@southern-comms.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

840328828755772

Contact

Rebecca Rowarth
01372 385715
rebecca.rowarth@southern-comms.co.uk

Service scope

• Service constraints: Service capability is reliant on vendor development and shortcomings in capability cannot be bypassed by Southern Communications.
• System requirements:
  • Appropriate customer network access
  • Out of band access for SC engineering staff

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Each service has a specific response SLA. Standard response times are between 30 mins and 4 hours depending on product.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Onsite support
• Support levels: Each product has a Service Level Agreement. This agreement defines the support levels on offer.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Initial installation and user configuration handover documentation along with a user briefing on the operational setup.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: HTML
• End-of-contract data extraction: On request or through the customer self service portal. This information will be available for up to 12 months before removal and destruction.
• End-of-contract process: On termination of the contract managed devices will be removed from the system and configurations wiped. The access logs will be archived for 12 months and the change logs held for 7 years.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Using the web interface: The web interface offers monitoring, asset management including CIA scoring and risk assessment. Estate management and ticket review for all services purchased.
• Web interface accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web interface is accessible: Web access with 2 factor identification
• Web interface accessibility testing: None
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: The portal has a full set of RESTFUL API actions which allow for complete feature parity with the service options within the master interface. The API access is available to registered users of the system.
• API automation tools: OpenStack
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • PDF
• Command line interface: No

Scaling

• Scaling available: No
• Independence of resources: The core network operates within a set of matrics that ensure the transport of traffic is maintained to the stated transmission rates with the SLA.
• Usage notifications: Yes
• Usage reporting:
  • API
  • Email
  • SMS

Analytics

• Infrastructure or application metrics: Yes
• Metrics types:
  • CPU
  • Network
  • Other
• Other metrics:
  • Application awareness and utilisation
  • Traffic control
  • Content filtering
  • Insider threat control
  • Risk adaptive protection
  • GDPR compliance
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller providing extra support
• Organisation whose services are being resold: Cisco / Palo Alto / Forcepoint

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Managed by a third party
• Penetration testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Penetration testing approach: ‘IT Health Check’ performed by a CHECK service provider
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type:
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
  • Hardware containing data is completely destroyed
• Equipment disposal approach: A third-party destruction service

Backup and recovery

• Backup and recovery: Yes
• What’s backed up:
  • All configurations are held within the config management system
  • All logs are stored within the SC data vault
• Backup controls: Recovery is a managed element completed by SC engineering teams.
• Datacentre setup: Multiple datacentres with disaster recovery
• Scheduling backups: Supplier controls the whole backup schedule
• Backup recovery: Users contact the support team

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • Private network or public sector network
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Legacy SSL and TLS (under version 1.2)
  • Other
• Other protection between networks: VLAN Segregation
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Legacy SSL and TLS (under version 1.2)
  • Other
• Other protection within supplier network: VLAN Segregation

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Each service is provided with a Service Level Agreement that includes up time guarantees, target times to respond and fix, and performance metrics detailing the parameters within which the connection types will operate.
• Approach to resilience: With the core SCCS network all traffic paths have multiple routes providing a 100% SLA for core operations. For customer sites a range of options are available including RA02 and last mile tail diversity.
• Outage reporting: The SCCS customer portal allows for the unique alerting of services, and for these alerts to be controlled by the customers operations team. These alerts are distributed through a number of methods including SMS text, email and dashboard. For regional and multi site issues, SCCS operate a mass alerting system including public dashboard and automatic alerting. These are backed up by our 24/7 support desk which can offer up to date information both on a recorded message loop and personal interaction.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Access to the management systems are controlled through a single access gateway with 2 factor authentication. Systems beyond the gateway are locked to only allow known end points to connect.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
• Devices users manage the service through: Any device but through a bastion host (a bastion host is a server that provides access to a private network from an external network such as the internet)

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: Between 6 months and 12 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: Between 6 months and 12 months
• How long system logs are stored for: Between 6 months and 12 months

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: BSI
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 03072022
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: N/A
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: No

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: SCCS complies with the ISO27001 standards and Cyber Essentials Plus protocols. The company maintains a regular internal and external audit profile, backed up with internal modular training for all staff. The management group have operational oversight through a board level security group which meets on a regular basis chaired by the Group Chief Security Officer (CSO), where all breaches in procedure are evaluated with any learnings and changes to process are reviewed and authorised.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: SCCS operates within the ITIL framework. Change is controlled through the change management process and tracked throughout the life of the component. All change is assessed through the CAB process with business as usual change being pre-approved. Access to make change is controlled to the individual engineer undertaking the change. All engineering staff charged with change are empowered to refer any change to the CAB for peer review. All change implementations are recorded and this record is kept throughout the life of the device or service and post service termination for 7 years.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: SCCS maintain a close relationship with the equipment and software vendors deployed on the network. Where practical equipment is directly connected to the vendor vulnerability control platforms. Where this is not practical vendor updates are reviewed on a weekly basis with emerging threats automatically extended to the CAB for review and potential patch implementation.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: A range of methods are use in conjunction with the equipment and software vendors
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: SCCS operate to the standards laid out in ISO27035. We maintain a security incident management policy and incident response team which is, the focal point for all incident reports that can be generated by any member of staff within the organisation. This group assesses the reported incidents and assigns risk, detailing the appropriate response including the formation of a IRT and maintaining a continuous improvement log from which lessons can be learned. These lessons are fed back to the Security group and help develop the ISO 27001 procedures with the continuous improvement process.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Independent review of processes (for example CESG CPA Build Standard, ISO/IEC 27034, ISO/IEC 27001 or CSA CCM v3.0)

Separation between users

• Virtualisation technology used to keep applications and users sharing the same infrastructure apart: Yes
• Who implements virtualisation: Supplier
• Virtualisation technologies used: VMware
• How shared infrastructure is kept separate: Each customer is held in a logical container and connects via a unique VLAN. No routing exists between the customer containers.

Energy efficiency

• Energy-efficient datacentres: Yes
• Description of energy efficient datacentres: PU rating of less than .05

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Fighting climate change
  • Covid-19 recovery
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  SCCS has undertaken an action plan (published carbon reduction plan) on how we can reduce our environmental impact. Whilst we don’t produce any products directly, we do undertake several recycling initiatives to ensure waste products are recycled where possible: • Paper – aim to work as a paperless company, meaning any hard paper documents are scanned and then placed into the shredding bin’s located on site, shredded and disposed of securely via a third party company. • Plastic– This is collected from site and recycled. • Print Cartridges – This is collected from site and recycled. • Staff commuting – SCCS adopts a 'green travel plan' for staff commuting to work. This means that we encourage staff to use public transport, car share and walk/cycle to work schemes. SCCS do not manufacture products directly as we are a reseller, thus reducing the number of raw materials needed to produce devices. As part of environmental promise, we offer all our customers the option to recycle devices, which can be done through a selected third party. SCCS also aims towards ensuring we are always working in accordance with the procedures of ISO 14001 - Environmental Management System. SCCS operates an Environmental Management System within our office and as part of that process, SCCS is rolling out improved energy efficiency measures to reduce impact on the environment and our carbon footprint: • Lighting – moving all lighting towards LED, which if more efficient for the environment, as well as cost saving. • Implementing Smart metering into our office facility. • Air Conditioning – Units are being changed to newer, more energy efficient models. • Additional Heaters – Heaters within the office are only used in extremes of temperature to prevent large fluctuations in temperature. We also use carbon neutral couriers for all deliveries.

  Covid-19 recovery

  Covid-19 had a big impact on the world and many businesses and as such, SCCS, much like everyone else, had to adapt on how we worked throughout this period. As an information technology business, we were already equipped with things such as Teams, work mobiles, work laptops etc so the transition from office to home working didn’t have a large impact on our business like it might have on other businesses. Our recovery to Covid-19 has been very smooth in the sense that we are now working as a hybrid business, meaning that staff have the flexibility to work 2 days in the office and 3 days from home. By reducing the number of staff within the office, we are able to spread desks out further and provide less contact with large numbers of people which we believe helps prevent the spread of Covid and other illnesses. We continue to provide hand sanitising stations throughout the office, and have cleaners come in on a regular basis. By implementing hybrid working as a permanent process, this also helps with the environmental aspect of the business as staff are not having to come into the office every day, meaning less travel is required, thus reducing our carbon footprint as a business. SCCS have supported hundreds of charities and voluntary organisations in recovering from the impacts of Covid but also managing and leading that response. This includes explaining and supporting the implementation of solutions in the short, medium and long term. The deployment of Microsoft Teams Voice, Cloud Telephony solutions and mobiles on a short term contract have all helped customers support the recovery from Covid and are set to support any ongoing requirements.

  Equal opportunity

  SCCS provides a safe environment for all staff and we ensure that equal opportunities exist throughout the company, regardless of race, religion, age, sex or physical ability. When recruiting employee’s, SCCS will first post vacancies on local job boards and with local recruitment agencies to ensure that the pool of candidates we receive are from the local community, however, we would not discriminate if a candidate came from further afield if suitable for the role. The reason for recruiting local is that 1, it contributes towards the local community, both helping towards less unemployment, and also spend in the community, and 2, we believe that by recruiting local helps with our carbon footprint as employees have the option to walk to work, and also car share where possible. SCCS contributes towards the work experience scheme. Over the past several years we have given placement to students who are looking to gain experience within the telecommunication’s sector. When employing staff at SCCS, we ensure that both men and woman feel equally empowered and as such, we have both non-discrimination and equal opportunity policies in place throughout the business. We also believe in equal pay and hold annual pay reviews to ensure that our staff fell they are being paid the correct salary based on their role and skills. SCCS have provided several local projects to support the local community to include but not limited to staff volunteering days, hardware recycling schemes to support local businesses, and consultancy time for local projects. The availability of services is based on the requirements of the customer and how best SCCS can support the request.

  Wellbeing

  SCCS can confirm that in 2021, amidst the presence of COVID-19, we rolled out an opportunity to our employees to become a Mental Health First Aider’s. We are pleased to say that several staff wanted to be involved with this and as such, we teamed up with St. John’s Ambulance and put selected staff members on a week’s course to become qualified FAQ Level 3 Mental Health Workplace First Aiders. Both the physical and mental health of all our employees is at the forefront of our business as we understand how important it is for our employees to be well, and to feel happy and comfortable in the workplace. Since implementing mental health workplace first aiders, we have also made several changes internally to assess and improve the mental health and well being of all staff. These changes include but not limited to: • Fresh Fruit available every morning in the office • Dedicated zone’s and times that a mental health first aider is available should anyone wish to speak with one of them. • Well-being weeks which include various activities for the staff members to enjoy. • Posters added to all the communal area’s with support numbers should someone feel the need they need to speak with someone. In addition to the above, the mental health first aiders have been trained to look out for the common signs and symptoms of someone who may be struggling with their mental health and how to deal with this situation.

Pricing

• Price: £25 a unit a month
• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• Free trial available: No

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at rebecca.rowarth@southern-comms.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.